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Food Japan 2023 Showcases the Best of Japan’s Food and Beverage Industry

ASEAN’s leading Japanese Food and Beverage (F&B) exhibition is happening on 11-13 October at Suntec Singapore

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 3 October 2023 – ASEAN’s leading Japanese Food and Beverage (F&B) exhibition, Food Japan 2023, opens its doors today to welcome visitors from across the region. This year marks the 11th edition of Food Japan, and it promises to be an exceptional showcase of Japan’s vibrant food and beverage industry, technology, and services.

FJ 2023 - Asset.jpg

With over 180 exhibitors from 30 prefectures, Food Japan 2023 offers a unique opportunity to experience the diverse flavours of Japan. What makes this year even more exciting is that 50% of the exhibitors are participating in Food Japan for the first time, ensuring visitors can expect a plethora of new and innovative products.

Each exhibitor brings their local delicacies, regional specialties, and rich cultural heritage to the forefront, providing visitors with an immersive culinary journey. It also features a wide range of innovative Japanese food and beverage products. Visitors can explore various displays and sample tastings scattered throughout the exhibition floor, showcasing the latest trends in technology and culinary innovation.

The success of Food Japan would not be possible without the support of our esteemed stakeholders. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Japan Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR), the Embassy of Japan (Singapore), the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), the Singapore Food Manufacturers Association (SFMA), and Yamaguchi Prefecture for their unwavering support.

Food Japan 2023 promises to be an unforgettable event, where visitors can immerse themselves in the rich culinary traditions of Japan and explore the cutting-edge advancements in the industry. Join us and embark on a gastronomic adventure like no other.

Food Japan 2023 Information

Trade: 11-13 October, 10.00am–5.30pm
General Public: 13 October, 2pm – 5.30pm
Address: Suntec Convention and Exhibition Centre, Level 4, Hall 401-402, Singapore

For more information, please visit: www.oishii-world.com

Hashtag: #foodjapan2023



The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Food Japan

Food Japan is the annual event that serves as a bridge between Japan and ASEAN, providing valuable opportunities for business collaboration and knowledge exchange of classic Japanese ingredients, quality seasonal produces, unique prefecture specialities, as well as innovative technology, and machinery.

OJ Events Pte Ltd

Food Japan Executive Committee (of OJ Events Pte Ltd) is helmed by professionals with a strong track record in organising leading trade shows in various sectors, including food and beverage (F&B) The company was founded with the aim of supporting Japanese enterprises keen on tapping international markets by providing effective sales and marketing platforms for their products and services. Food Japan is one such platform for the F&B industry.

X-PITCH 2023 Announces Global TOP100 Startups

Accelerating Deeptech

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 3 October 2023 – X-PITCH is delighted to introduce 2023 TOP100 startups. Chosen from a pool of over 3,000 startups around the world, this year’s selection showcases a diverse and vibrant ecosystem of entrepreneurial talent. X-PITCH 2023 is driven by a shared commitment to accelerate deeptech innovation across four vital domains: Healthcare, Advanced Manufacturing, Sustainability, and Digital Economy.

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The statistics speak to the global reach and diversity of the competition. Among the semi-finalists, 88% originate from Asia, while the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Africa collectively make up the remaining 12%. These startups are at various stages of development, with 53% in Seed/Pre-A, 40% in Pre-Seed, and 7% in Series A/B. The categories they represent reflect the pressing needs of today’s world, with 39% focusing on digital economy, 29% on sustainability, 20% on healthcare, and 12% on advanced manufacturing. For a closer look, find the TOP100 shortlist at www.xpitch.io.

X-PITCH 2023’s overarching theme revolves around “Accelerating Deeptech.” The primary objective is to foster innovation that not only advances technology but also contributes to the betterment of society. With a commitment to “Tech for Good,” the competition aims to harness the power of deeptech in addressing critical global challenges.

X-PITCH is renowned as the X Games for Startups, thanks to its unique and challenging pitch contests. This iconic startup event offers founders the opportunity to win investments, accolades, and invaluable exposure. The competition has a history of hosting pitches in unconventional locations, including skyscraper elevators, self-driving cars, and even MRT. This year’s semi-finals take place on the Singapore River, where startups will pitch aboard the city’s iconic bumboats.

The journey culminates with the selection of the TOP10 startups from the semi-finals, who will advance to the finals at the National Gallery Singapore. The Grand Finale, scheduled for November 9th, will see the presentation of ten awards. The Deeptech Summit, a focal point of the event, will feature thought leaders exploring deeptech’s transformative potential in different industries.

Since 2021, X-PITCH has expanded its global footprint, reaching over 50 countries, engaging 8,000+ startups, and involving more than 100,000 participants. The competition has been instrumental in securing a total of US$2 million in investment prizes and over $38 million in funding for the winners. Beyond the competition, X-PITCH’s global partners will provide a range of value-added activities to benefit the TOP100 startups. These activities include market access seminars, pitch training, workshops, investor matching, and more.

Hosted by XCEL NEXT and e27, X-PITCH 2023 is made possible through the support of Enterprise Singapore and A*StartCentral and is co-organized by top organizations from ten Asian economies, including Block71 Singapore, BSSC, Cool Japan Fund, DOST-PCIEERD, HKSTP, HUB.ID, KOVA, MDEC, TA, TINVA, TusStar, and VITTBI. The event is proudly sponsored by AIOX Apex Angel Fund, Foxconn Technology, Media OutReach Newswire, Quanding EMC, and Yulon Motor.

“I am excited to extend an invitation to deeptech investors and stakeholders. X-PITCH 2023 aspires to be a platform for deeptech innovation, bringing together outstanding startups from across the globe in the shared pursuit of groundbreaking solutions. We cordially invite you to join us for the Finals & Summit in Singapore on November 9th, where these visionary founders will take center stage, contributing to a future where technology serves the greater good,” said K. Yu, Organizing Committee Chair of X-PITCH 2023. To secure your spot, please register at: https://bit.ly/45dqVNx
Hashtag: #xpitch #deeptech #startupcompetition

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About X-PITCH

X-PITCH is an iconic startup event in Asia, and probably the most challenging pitch contest in the world. Known as the “X Games for Startups”, founders go through a series of pitch challenges to win investments, awards, and exposure. Official website:

Bybit Expands Crypto Trading in South Africa with New Derivatives Products and Fiat On-Ramp Service

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – Media OutReach – 2 October 2023 – Bybit, the world’s third most visited crypto exchange, has announced the official launch of its cryptocurrency derivatives products in South Africa, along with the introduction of a new fiat on-ramp service. Bybit will market this offering in South Africa as the juristic representative of Money Doc (Proprietary) Limited, an authorised financial services provider (FSP no. 52081), registered under South African company number 2019/466808/07.

In addition to the compliant marketing of its offshore derivatives trading products, Bybit is introducing a new fiat on-ramp service for the South African Rand (ZAR). This feature enables users to conveniently deposit Rands via bank transfer (EFT), including the instant transfer option, providing them with effortless and low-cost access to buying and selling cryptocurrencies. This enhancement will greatly allow South African cryptocurrency traders and users to take advantage of Bybit’s market-leading liquidity and trading tools in a compliant manner.

Joshua Yau, Bybit’s Regional Manager for Africa, expressed enthusiasm about the expansion, stating, “This marks a significant milestone for Bybit as we bring access to global leading products to the passionate crypto community in South Africa in line with regulatory requirements. This marks an important step in our compliance efforts. We are committed to providing a secure and seamless trading experience, industry-leading trading tools, and low-cost access that empower our users.”

Ben Zhou, Co-founder and CEO of Bybit, shared his thoughts on this strategic move: “Our expansion into South Africa reaffirms Bybit’s mission to make cryptocurrency trading accessible to all and to be compliant with local regulations. We believe in the power of blockchain technology to revolutionize finance, and this expansion represents another step towards achieving that vision.”

Bybit’s expansion in South Africa reflects the company’s commitment to global accessibility and its dedication to unleashing the full potential of crypto believers, seeking to level-up via Web3 with the next generation tools, support, and opportunities.

“Bybit Fintech FZE markets derivative products in South Africa on behalf of Money Doc (Proprietary) Limited, an authorised financial services provider (FSP no. 52081). Bybit Fintech FZE is a Juristic Representative of Money Doc (Proprietary) Limited.”

Hashtag: #Bybit #TheCryptoArk

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Bybit

Bybit is a top-five cryptocurrency exchange established in 2018 that offers a professional platform where crypto investors and traders can find an ultra-fast matching engine, 24/7 customer service, and multilingual community support. Bybit is a proud partner of Formula One’s reigning Constructors’ and Drivers’ champions: the Oracle Red Bull Racing team.
For media inquiries, please contact: For more information please visit: For updates, please follow:

Indonesian President Launches Southeast Asia’s First High-Speed Railway, Funded by China

High-speed train is parked during the opening ceremony for launching Southeast Asia's first high-speed railway at Halim station in Jakarta, Indonesia, 2 October 2023 (Photo: AP)

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian President Joko Widodo inaugurated Southeast Asia’s first high-speed railway on Monday as it was set to begin commercial operations, a key project under China’s Belt and Road infrastructure initiative that will drastically reduce the travel time between two key cities.

Lao PM Highlights Key Measures to Address Economic Crisis in Cabinet Meeting

PM Sonexay Siphandone at the monthly Cabinet meeting on 28–29 September. (Photo: Pasaxon)

Following the drastic fall of the Lao kip to a record low against foreign currencies in September, Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone has urged immediate action.  

Thailand Expects Over THB 140 Billion From Chinese Visitor Visa Waiver

Thailand Expects Over THB 140 Billion From Chinese Visitor Visa Waiver
Chinese tourists arrive at Suvarnabhumi International Airport at Samut Prakarn province. (Photo: AP)

The Thai government expects to attract over 2.9 million visitors from China as part of the five-month visa exemption period. The tourists will bring in THB 140.3 billion (USD 3.8 billion) by 29 February 2024.

Lao Government to Develop Better Transport System to Ease Traffic in Vientiane Capital

Lao Government to Develop Better Transport System to Ease Traffic in Vientiane Capital
Traffic in Vientiane Capital.

The Lao government is marking another significant stride towards addressing urban congestion and improving public transportation in Vientiane Capital. 

Respond.io Enables India’s Leading Job Platform Apna to Help Recruiters Process 22 Million Candidates

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach – 2 October 2023 – Apna, a leading talent acquisition platform in India, is improving support conversations through its strategic partnership with respond.io, an innovative customer conversation management software. This collaboration responds to the urgent need in the recruitment industry for an omnichannel messaging solution capable of serving a vast and diverse clientele.

Apna’s Success Story: Transforming Recruitment Through Innovation

Apna simplifies the recruitment process by connecting employers, or the recruiters representing them, with over 22 million job seekers to find the right candidates for their needs.

To facilitate this, Apna provided support over website chat. However, these chats close when users leave the website portal so Apna’s support team can’t update recruiters about their cases. Instead, the company sent automatic case updates via WhatsApp API on a different platform.

This in turn created another challenge. As these WhatsApp messages weren’t reflected or visible on the website chat, agents could not reference them to gain context when handling ongoing issues. This delayed resolutions and dissatisfied recruiters.

To address these challenges, Apna wanted to provide better support by ensuring agents have a complete understanding of each recruiter’s context when they reach out. Apna sought a messaging solution that could integrate seamlessly with its existing software stack and consolidate all its communication channels, including website chat, email and a new WhatsApp support channel as it’s the most popular messaging app in India with almost half a billion users.

Recognizing the evolving demands of the modern customer communication landscape, Apna strategically partnered with respond.io to overhaul its strategy. In addition to supporting popular and custom messaging channels, robust chat automation, flexible integrations and tools such as multichannel chat widgets, the rapid growth of respond.io‘s software evinced its dedication to pioneering solutions for customer conversations that delivered business results.

Respond.io provided a scalable, flexible and reliable chat solution during our hyper-growth stage, allowing us to support thousands of recruiters daily. Its advanced technology facilitates stable and efficient conversations with our team, which enables recruiters to optimize their recruitment processes and inspires confidence in our platform.” — Zoyeb Batliwala, Director of Employer Success at Apna.

Apna’s relationship with respond.io quickly brought transformative benefits. Through respond.io, Apna is able to manage all its support channels on one platform, streamline business processes with automation, retrieve or update information on integrated third-party software easily and enrich conversations with multimedia for efficient problem-solving.

This reduced first response times by over 80% to below 5 minutes and resolutions now take under 30 minutes. Consequently, Apna’s user satisfaction score consistently exceeds 80% as recruiters are able to seamlessly process candidates on the Apna platform.

Apna’s Success Enhances Respond.io‘s Foorprint in the Talent Acquisition Industry

Apna’s results affirm respond.io as the chat solution of choice in the talent acquisition and recruitment industry by addressing its unique challenges.

The sector requires quick and high-quality communication as attracting top talent in fiercely competitive markets depends on delivering exceptional candidate experiences. Statistics show that almost 70% of candidates have applied for jobs on their mobile phones, so it’s natural that recruitment conversations happen on the same device. With that, instant messaging is overtaking email as a preferred communication channel among candidates.

Respond.io‘s capabilities in providing recruiters with comprehensive context and automated chat assistance directly align with this industry demand. Likewise, its customizability and flexible integration capabilities correspond with the need for tailored solutions in the recruitment industry. Companies like Apna and Malaysia-based Pinnacle Contact Center seek a platform that can be adapted to their specific requirements and seamlessly integrate with their existing systems.

“We value candid feedback and real-world use cases from our customers to drive our innovation. Our collaboration with Apna exemplifies this approach. Some of its feature requests echoed similar demands from other users and resulted in the development of powerful features such as the ability to launch automated tasks with a single click while chatting with customers,” says Gerardo Salandra, CEO of respond.io.

As conversational AI transforms business communication worldwide, respond.io dedicates significant resources towards advancing solutions that create more meaningful, efficient and personalized customer interactions in a highly scalable manner. Businesses that handle high volumes of conversations and prioritize customer satisfaction should be among the early adopters of AI-powered chat solutions to maintain a competitive advantage.

Hashtag: #respondio #businessmessaging #recruitment #hrtech




The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About respond.io

is an AI-powered customer conversation management software that enables teams of all sizes to respond to messages on any channel from one centralized dashboard. Its omnichannel inbox, advanced chat automation, flexible integrations and comprehensive reporting and analytics facilitate efficient business operations and great customer experiences at scale.

The platform is trusted by over 10,000 brands across 86 countries, including British Airways, Toyota, Decathlon, Roche, Klook and Bigo. It processes over 120 million messages per month, surpassing the combined capabilities of its top three competitors while boasting high uptime and remarkable stability.

In 2022, raised $7 million in Series A funding, led by Headline Asia with participation from AltaIR Capital, Smart Partnership Capital, Sterling Oak Group and Calendula Ventures. It achieved the prestigious status of a WhatsApp Business Solution Provider (BSP) in April 2023. From its headquarters in Malaysia, respond.io continues to innovate and advance the future of customer conversations.